This panel tells the tale of how three men kidnapped two
Native-American women. The kidnappers were killed by
Native-Americans and the women were released, but newspapers
sensationalized the story resulting in vigilantes seeking revenge
for the deaths of the three kidnappers. Bloodshed ensued, and
eventually the army was sent to make a permanent presence in the
region. The wealth coming from the Comstock Lode in nearby Virginia
City was also a major reason for the fort being built

The huge cost of building the fort ($179,000) in 1860 illustrates the
point of just how much the government was willing to spend to protect
the Comstock Lode. Tension between Northern and Southern states was
boiling, so Northern leaders were quick to see the fort erected in order
to protect this vital source of revenue